


The Movie Date

by cyberlowlife



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King, It - All Media Types
Genre: 1989, Cliche, First Kiss, Gay Eddie Kaspbrak, Gay Fear, Gay Richie Tozier, M/M, Mild talk of trauma, Movie Night, Post-Defeating It, Soft Boys, hand holding, movie date, they're baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-10-14 04:07:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20594438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyberlowlife/pseuds/cyberlowlife
Summary: Richie is tired of being stuck in the house. Eddie's free to hang out. Softness ensues.





	The Movie Date

Months after the events that happened down in the well house, the losers were still recovering. Beverly was gone, she moved away a few days after everything went down, but the rest of them were stuck here, with their nightmares and flashbacks. Yes, It was gone, but that didn’t mean their trauma just… went away. They hated being alone, but when they were together, all they could think to talk about was what happened, and nobody was really ready to talk about that yet.

Richie had always hated being alone, even before this summer, but there was only one person he really wanted to hang out with, and he was more traumatized than Richie. And yet, as Richie watched the leaves fall off the trees and Thanksgiving decorations be put up for November, he felt he was slowly going crazy sitting inside. He wanted to get out, and he missed Eddie like he had never missed anyone else. 

He wouldn’t say they were “dating”, necessarily, but they were more than friends. He felt happiest when they were together, even though most of what they did was argue and push each other around. Granted, when they were alone that didn’t happen nearly as often. So, he pulled himself away from his window and marched himself to the phone. He had Eddie’s number memorized, having spent so many nights and mornings calling him. He dialed it with ease and held the phone to his ear, listening to the dial tone until there was a click, and Eddie’s voice was in his ear.

“Hello?” was all he said, and Richie was breaking out in a grin. 

“Hey, Eds. You doing anything?” Richie asked, excitement evident in his voice. He knew for a fact all Eddie was doing was sitting with his mom watching some TV show and listening to her rant on about something.

“No, not right now. Why? You wanna hang out?” Eddie asked, and for once he sounded timid, unsure about leaving the house. No doubt his mom was still spewing lies about how dangerous it was for him to leave, because what if that crazy killer was still out there? But Eddie could never say no to hanging out with Richie.

“Yeah, uh, do you wanna go see that new Back to the Future movie that just came out? I need to get out of the house,” Richie’s voice wavered ever so slightly, a jolt of- fear?- went through his stomach. The two of them, out alone, without the others or one of their parents… they hadn’t done that since before summer. He shook off this feeling. They would be fine. Henry Bowers was gone, nobody else paid them any attention. He faintly heard Eddie’s affirmative answer, and hung up the phone with a mumbled “See ya”. It would be fine. They would have fun, like they always did. 

***  
Richie’s bike was out of commission, so he walked to the movie theater. He kept his head low and his hands stuffed in his pockets, although the logical side of him knew that nobody was going to pay him any attention. 

When he reached the theater, Eddie was already there, standing outside fiddling with the zipper on that ridiculous fanny pack he still insisted on wearing. He looked up when Richie approached, a familiar grin spreading across his face.

“Hey.”

“Hi… Ready to go in?” Richie’s smile was lopsided as he spoke, leading the way into the movie theater. It was fairly empty, which immediately had Richie at ease. Crowds weren’t sitting well with him anymore, which made school basically hell at this point. He walked up to the bored-looking teenager sitting in the ticket booth, placing his elbows on the counter and squinting at the list of movies. 

“Uh, yeah, can I get two tickets for Back to the Future?” he asked, fishing the wad of money his dad had tossed at him out of his pocket and pulling a ten dollar bill free. He slid it under the glass in the booth and bounced on his feet as he waited for his change and tickets. He could feel Eddie beside him, sense the nervous energy radiated off of him, and suddenly wondered if they were okay. It was a thought he didn’t appreciate, so he pushed it away as he took his change and tickets with a mumbled thanks. 

He grabbed Eddie’s wrist, leading the way up to the concession stand. “Anything you want? Actually- don’t answer that. You’re just gonna lecture me on how much shit is in this food and I just don’t care.” he smirked at Eddie as the smaller boy opened his mouth to do just that, and ordered a popcorn and soda for them to share. 

“You better not give me AIDS or anything through that straw, Richie.” Eddie said, though his tone wasn’t harsh. Richie still kicked him in the shin for it and took their popcorn and drink. “I’ll do my best, Eddiekins.” he quipped, sending the boy a look before walking towards their theater.

“Right in the middle, c’mon Eds. It’s the best place to sit for a movie.” he said over his shoulder as he marched to the seats he had eyes on, plopping down and effectively knocking popcorn on the ground. 

“Good one, Rich. You know some poor teenager has to clean that up, right?” Eddie said was he sat down, shaking his head. Richie just shrugged, setting the drink in the armrest between them and putting his feet up on the seat in front of them, already devouring popcorn at a rapid pace that had Eddie looking at him with disgust. “You are a freak,” he groaned before timidly reaching in and taking a handful of popcorn himself.

***  
The movie had both of them hooked. Usually, Richie talked nonstop throughout it, but this time, he was genuinely interested. It was almost good enough to make him unaware of the fact that he and Eddie were sharing an armrest, and their hands kept knocking together as they reached for the soda. It was driving Riche just slightly insane.

He wanted to hold Eddie’s hand, of course he did. They were in a dark theater, nobody else was looking at them, he could do it. Right? But what if Eddie rejected him, or what if those kids sitting three rows behind them had laser vision and could see them through the chairs? Right, now Richie was sure he was being ridiculously paranoid. He waited until Eddie’s hand brushed his to put the drink back in the cupholder, and then he pounced.

He grabbed Eddie’s hand, albeit awkwardly, and laced their fingers together. It felt… strange, but also right. He felt Eddie tense up, but only for a second before he was squeezing Richie’s hand tight, making no move to let go.

They held hands until the credits finished rolling and the lights came up, but even after it was a slow separation. Richie could hold Eddie’s hand forever and be content. They left the theater and Richie threw away their garbage, his whole body practically vibrating with nervous energy. He looked over at Eddie, and could tell that Eddie was about to leave, but Richie wanted a little more time with him, to keep feeling like nothing was wrong in the world.

“Lemme walk you home, Eddie spaghetti,” Richie said, and grinned at Eddie’s eye roll and timid “Fine.”

They walked next to each other out of the theater, both of their hands in their pockets and their heads down. For once, Richie didn’t know how to fill the silence. He was nervous, and all he wanted to do was hold Eddie’s hand some more. 

So, he cleared his throat and angled himself to walk closer to the smaller boy, their shoulders brushing. “You know, my hand is… a little cold here, Eds. Feels a little empty…” he trailed off and pulled his hand out of his pocket, holding it out with his palm up, an invitation. Eddie audibly groaned, his eyes raising to the sky before he slapped his hand down on Richie’s, their fingers fitting between each other perfectly. 

Richie didn’t know if the blush on Eddie’s cheeks was from him or the chill in the air, but either way, he liked it. “You look like a girl. You wearing makeup? Is that why your cheeks are all pink like that?” he teased, but there was a fondness in his voice that he reserved only for Eddie. In response, Eddie simply slammed into him with his shoulder, causing Richie to stumble and laugh, genuinely laugh. It surprised both of them, but also seemed to break through the weird barrier that was keeping them so quiet.

The rest of the walk to Eddie’s house was filled with them talking, mostly over each other, laughing, and swinging their hands between them. It was like a child finally figuring out which shape goes into which hole on the puzzle. They finally fit again, and it felt good. 

Their laughter died when they finally reached Eddie’s house, and they stood at the edge of the walkway up to the porch, looking between each other and the house, for a long time. “I… should go in. Mother knows when the movie was over and I’ll be in trouble if I’m too late…” Eddie eventually spoke up and slowly pulled his hand out of Richie’s.

Richie just nodded, his shoulders slumped as Eddie turned away. “Wait-” he blurted out, surprising even himself. He hand shot out and he grabbed Eddie’s arm, turning him back around and pulling him in close, too close, and- and he kissed him. He didn’t hesitate, and it was messy, it was short, and Eddie’s lips would definitely be swollen from the abruptness of it all, but it was a kiss. 

Just as quickly as Richie initiated it, he ended it, letting go of Eddie and stumbling back a few steps. He choked out a “Later, Eddie-” and before Eddie could even think to call him back, he was halfway down the sidewalk.


End file.
